Sawmill set-works.



No. 660.840. v Pa tented 001. 30, I900. I

S. W. BUTTERFIELD. I

SAWMILL SET WORKSV (Application flld Juna 23, 1899., I

(no Model.) 3 Shats-Sheet amuel ll/flltlllfyt tltg Inventor Patented Oct. 30, I900.

8. W. BUTTERFIELQ; SAWMILL SET WORKS.

(Application filed June 23, 1899.)

--heet 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 660,840. Patented Oct. 30, I900.

S. W. BUTTEBFIELD. SAWMILL SET WORKS.

(Application filed June 23, 1899.) -;N Model.) 3 Shanta-Sheet 3.

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UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL WESLEY BUTTERFIELD, OF THREE RIVERS, CANADA.

SAWMILL SET-WORKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersIEatent No. 660,840, dated October 30, 1900.

Application filed June 23, 1899. Serial No. 721,595. (No model.)

' usual to provide means for collectively and individually operating the setting-knees, the latter being disposed in series on the log-carriage. slidably fitted to a rack-bar, which in turn is slidable in suitable guideways, so as to move,

. on the carriage, and with the rack-bars of the setting-knees are arranged to mesh pinions on the set-shaft, which may be operated to simultaneously advance all the knees to a desired position, the retraction or backward movement of the knees being simultaneously effected by a strong torsion-spring which is operatively connected to the set-shaft. The means for individually adjusting the settingknees operate independently of the set-shaft mechanism, which includes the rack and the pinion described, each individual knee-ad setting-lever and the set-works rack there is a certain amount of lost motion at suchloose connection ,which lost'motion increases by-the Wear due to friction in the use of the set-works.

It is frequently the case that the saw swerves somewhat from its path and draws on the log, so that one part of the latter is a little in advance of the other, which motion is permitted by the slack in the joint of the lever connec tion with the set-works rack and which is dis- Ordinarily the setting-knees are each advantageous, because it results in irregular or uneven sawing of the slabs.

It is the object of this invention to provide means operable independently of the setworks rack and the set-shaft for taking up the slack motion of the setting-knees and for keeping the latter normally in the positions to which they are adjusted, so as to compensate for swerving of the saw, and thereby prevent either knee from being drawn forward under the action of the saw, thus obviating irregular sawing of the slabs.

To these ends the invention consists in the combination, with a set-shaft ordinarily held under tension, of the torsion spring, racks geared to said shaft, setting-knees slidable on the racks, and setting-levers each fulcrumed on a part of one setting-knee and connected loosely to the set-works rack, of a lost-motion compensating device for each setting-knee comprising an additional rack made fast to each setting-knee, a shaft geared to said lastnamed rack, and a torsion-spring connected to said shaft and operable to hold the lever in'a position to prevent the slack motion of the jointed connection with the set-works rack-from giving or playing to the swerving of the saw. e The invention further consists in the novel combination and construction of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings,Figure 1 isaperspective view of a part ofa log-carriage and a set-works mechanism equipped with means for overcoming the slack motion of the setting-knees embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a part of the head-block for the settingknees and illustrating the operative relation thereto of my slack-motion-compensating device, the latter being partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the parts shown by Fig. 2. Fig. 4; is a View in crosssection of an ordinary set-works, showingthe connections between the set-shaft and the knee-setting lever-and illustrating my improvements applied thereto. Fig. '5 is a side elevation, partly in section, to show the ordinary loose joint between the knee-setting lever and the set-works rack and alsoillustrating a part of my improvements.

The same letters and numerals of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

A part of an ordinary log-carriage is indicated by the reference-letter A. As is usual, this carriage is equipped with the head-blocks B, each of which is formed by a pair of parallel channel-irons, which are firmly secured to the carriage and form the guideways for the slides D which carry the setting-knees D. This log-carriage is also equipped with the cross-beams 0, each of which is provided on one side with a rigid bearing 24, the latter adapted to support one end of the compensating shaft, as will hereinafter appear. The setting-knees D are applied separately to the head-blocks B, and each knee is attached to or made integral with the slide D the latter being shown in cross-section by Figs. 3 and 4. This slide is provided on each of its side edges with a pair of parallel flanges 1O 11, forming the intermediate groove or channel 12, it being understood that two of these grooves are provided in each knee-slide and that they are on opposite sides thereof. These channels or grooves receive the flanges 14 011 the channel-irons which form the headblock B, and the slide D is free to move endwise on the head-block when operated by the set-works or by the knee-adjusting lever. The knee-slide D is furthermore provided on its inner sides with the opposing grooves or channels, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4, which grooves receive the edges of the set-Works rack 15, it being understood that one of these racks is slidably fitted in each knee-slide associated with each head block. The setworks rack is provided, as is usual, on its under side with the rack-teeth adapted to mesh with a pinion e on the set-shaft E, the latter extending longitudinally of the carriage, so as to occupy a common operative relation to the series of racks which serve to simultaneously operate the series of knees when the set-works is manipulated for the adjustment of the setting-knees. It is usual to associate with this set-shaft a strong torsion-spring E, arranged to normally turn said set-shaft in a direction to insure the retraction or backward movement of the set-works racks and the setting-knees; but as this torsion-spring is usual in the art I have not considered it necessary to more specifically describe or illustrate the same.

The ordinary knee-setting lever D is fulcrumed at a point intermediate of its length,

lower part of this setting-lever terminates in a short arm 20, which is furnished with a miliar to those skilled in the art.

stud 21, that is fitted loosely in a notch 22, provided in a lug 23, which is fast or integral with the set-works rack 15, whereby the setting-lever is loosely and operatively connected with the set-works rack in a manner usual to sawmill set-Works of the type fa- With the latch 19 in engagement with the segment on the knee-slide the lever serves as a means for making the knee-slide and the setting-knee fast or rigid with the set-works rack,and therefore the adjustment of said rack by the setshaft operates to simultaneously move the se-- ries of setting-knees which are under the control of the set-works. It frequently happens, however, that it is desirable to advance or retract the setting-knees individually, and the setting-levers D provide for such individual adjustment of the knees, because the latch can be retracted from engagement with the segment and the lever may be operated, to advance the slide and the knee to the desired position, or the parts may be retracted by reversing said lever, the lever in this instance turning on the fulcrum afiorded by the stud 21, which works in the notched lug on the set-works rack. As thus far described, the set-works are of the usual construction, and I will now proceed to set forth the improvements which I have made in this art.

It will be borne in mind that the lever D has a fixed fulcrum on the segment of the knee-slide; but the lower end of this lever is connected loosely by the stud 21 and the notched lug 23 with the set-works rack. This loose connection affords a certain amount of lost motion between the set-works rack and the setting-knee, and in the use of a sawmill it is found that this lost motion gradually increases, owing to the wear that takes place in the lug 23 and the stud 21. This permits the knee and its slide to be drawn up toward the saw when the latter swerves a little from its true position, and in consequence of this lost motion of the setting-knee it is found that the slabs are sawed irregularly, occasioning Waste of material. The improvements which I have made are intended to overcome these objections, and they are applied to the sawmill so as to operate in conjunction with but in a measure independent of the set-works and the setting-levers by which the setting-knees are collectively and individually controlled. My improvements are capable of application to ordinary setworks now in use; but they may also be embodied in new set-works.

One element of the compensating mechanism which I have devised is a rack cl, which is arranged in a horizontal position externally to the knee-slide and parallel to one of the head-blocks. This auxiliary rack d is firmly united to the knee-slide by a series of tie-plates 01, each of which has its respective ends fastened to the knee-slide and the rack by the bolts shown by Figs. 2 and 3, although other fastening means may be adopted. The

shaft (1 is arranged in a horizontal position below the plane of the auxiliary rack, said shaft lying at right angles to the head-block and between the latter and the cross-beam C; One end of this shaft 01 is journaled in the fixed bearing 24 on the inner side of the crossbeam, while the other end of said shaft occupies the bearing 26 on one of the channelirons forming the head-block. On this shaft is loosely sleeved a gear-pinion d which is provided with an extension or collar (1, said pinion arranged in position to have intermeshing engagement with the auxiliary rack d. The coiled spring d loosely encircles the compensating shaft 61* between the bearing 24 and the collar d of the pinion, and one end of this spring is made fast with the pinioncollar by means of the set-screw d while the other end of said screw is secured firmly to the bearing 24: by the bolt or screw 25, all as clearly shown by Figs. 2 and 3.

It is to be understood that the compensating spring (i normally acts on the shaft 02 so as to impel the rack 61 in a direction to move the slide D so that one edge of the notched lug 23 will always bear or press against the stud 21 on the setting-lever. This spring d thus operates to take up the lost motion due to the loose connection of the setting-lever with the set-works rack, and said spring also serves the important purpose of holding the setting-knee to the position to which it may be adjusted either by the setworks or by hand, whereby the limited inde pendent play of the setting-knee due to the swerving motion of the saw is wholly obviated.- The compensating spring does not in any way interfere with the operation of the set-works or the setting-lever but, on the contrary, such compensating device operates in unison with the set-works and the lever.

The compensating device is operatively combined with each setting-knee, as shown by Fig. 1, and such compensating devices for the series of setting-knees operate independently of each other.

Having thus described myinventi on, what I claim as new is 1. In a sawmill set-works, the combination with a head-block, a set-shaft, a knee-slide carrying a knee, a rack connected with said knee-slide and geared to the said shaft, and a lever fulcrumed on the knee-slide and connected loosely with the rack, of a lost-motiom compensating device including a spring-ac tuated shaft geared to the knee-slide to normally impel the latter in a direction to take up the slack in the loose connection with the lever in the set-works rack, substantially as set forth. 6b

2. The combination with a sawmill setworks having a knee-setting lever and a set- Works rack connected loosely together, of a lost-motion-compensating device comprising an auxiliary rack made fast with a part of the setting-knee, a shaft, apinion sleeved on the shaft and meshing with the auxiliary rack, and a torsion-spring connected with said pin= ion and operating the parts to force the set= ting=knee in a direction to take up the lost 76 motion in the loose connection between the setting-lever and the set-works rack, substan tially as set forth.

3. In combination withasawmill set-works, having the knee-setting lever and the setworks rack loosely connected together, of a lost-motion-oompensating device comprising an auxiliary rack fast with a part of the setting-knee, a shaft, a coiled spring on said shaft, a pinion fitted loosely on the shaft and 80 meshing with the auxiliary rack, and means for firmly securing said spring to the pinion, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a sawmill setworks having a knee-setting lever and a setworks rack loosely connected together, of a lost-motion-compensating device comprising an auxiliary rack, tie-plates to firmly connect said rack to a part of the setting-knee, 0 a shaft, a pinion loosely sleeved on the shaft to mesh with said auxiliary rack and provided with an extended collar, a spring encircling the shaft, and a screw which firmly secures one end of the spring to the pinion-collar, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

SAMUEL WESLEY BUTTERFIELD. V

Witnesses:

A. RENNIE, J. J. JAMES. 

